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M38A1
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While out on a group ride this past Sunday with some new friends, I was chatting with the leader about maybe taking a quick trip to the piney woods for a shot of the Angelina county limits sign or something like it. He said he was from that neck of the woods and TOLD me in no uncertain terms I HAD to go there and EAT at Mom's Diner. Hmmmm..... preacher telling me I have to do something and food is involved - I'm on it. Being a good listener, I decided to head that direction today and see what I could drum up for fun. So, hang on for a day-trip with the Mandarin Pig.
I woke up sort of late for what I had intended, checked the weather radar and forecast for Lufkin and surrounding areas. Only a 50% chance of rain today, so that means there's a 50% chance it won't rain, right? I geared up and headed out Hwy 71 East past the Austin airport and all the new Hwy 130 mess with muggy temperatures, overcast skies and a LOT of traffic.
Once I cleared the construction, the traffic thinned out some and it was a bit easier to have some fun. I've always been a task-oriented person, but over the past year or so, I've learned to have some 'fun' along the way. I was hoping I could keep the task-gremlins at bay and have some fun on this trip.
First order of business was to remember where the F4 Phantom was in Bastrop. I turned off Hwy 71 and picked up Hwy 21. Well, it wasn't too hard to find since it was right on the highway. I also think my mandarin pig had a hand in finding it too since the F4 is proof positive a brick (or pig) can fly given enough velocity and lift. The F4 was an amazing aircraft during it's lifetime and it's neat to see some of them still around albeit on blocks.
After I left Bastrop and the F4, the fog started rolling in. This wasn't normal fog, but it had that little bit of mist in it too that was just enough to have droplets form on the windshield, roll up and over then pop you in the helmet. Argh..... And then I had to contend with the rollover accident on Hwy 21 too. Kind of makes you think about what the 'other' people are doing and how it might affect your day.
Cruising up Hwy 21, I've always wanted to stop and grab a picture of this city limits sign. I thought "who in the heck would name a town "Zulch", and is there a South Zulch?
This part of the country is also known for it's cattle and grazing operations. Here's just one of a zillion cows there.
I pushed on through Aggieland then up to Madisonville, and then Austonio still on Hwy 21. After about the 9th Historical marker in Austonio, I finally stopped and read a few. Seems like that was a real hot-bed area for a lot of the initial Tejas settlers including Sam Houston, Davey Crockett etc. Along this section of the trip, I stopped at the Madison county courthouse and took a picture as well as the Houston county courthouse for yet another project. (see, the gremlins have been held at bay...)
I remembered Rev. Jim saying something about Hwy 7 and then 130. My rusty, er....trusty GPS and map showed me there was a Hwy 7 that wandered East off of Hwy 21, and low and behold, there was in fact a FM or RR 130 that took me to Lufkin. As I approached Lufkin, the clouds and fog and given way to huge white fluffy clouds (actually, high top cumulonimbus thunderstorm clouds) I made it to Lufkin and remembered some directions I had read earlier this morning. After a few blocks, there was "Moms Diner", right across the street from the CVS as Rev. Jim said. I parked the bike and wandered on in.
Now Moms Diner isn't a fancy place at all. In fact, it was rather boring. BUT...... Every wall in the place had a flag on it, or a name or picture of a local serviceman or servicewoman. It was one VERY patriotic eating establishment. I ordered the cheeseburger and a tea and within a few minutes, it came out. Jeez, the thing was HUGE. We're talking hand pressed beef patties and loads of fixings to your specification. I chatted with the gal a bit and she couldn't recollect a "Rev. Jim from Austin", but said they got a lot of riders in there all the time.
After three buckets of tea and a full belly of one of the best burgers I've had, I was off to find my Angelina sign. I didn't see a county limit sign on the road I came in on, so I was out of luck there. I know there is one, as I've seen it in another riders picture. Not to be outdone, I found the Angelina College and the Angelina County Airport about six miles South of Lufkin on Hwy 59 and shot pictures of each. I'm opting to use the college picture since it looks better than the other.
Heading down Hwy 59, I couldn't resist a turn-around for this one. I'll just add it to my list of 'fun' places like Paris, London etc. This is where I peeled off Hwy 59 and took FM/RR 350.
As I continued FM/RR 30, I did notice the clouds starting to build about where I was headed. I figured sooner or later, I would have to cross paths with those big thunderheads and it was looking like sooner rather than later. This is about where I made my only mistake. I was using an OLD map, like 1986 and it showed a 'line', ie: road that would take me to Huntsville. Well, I made a 'side trip' instead but did find my way into Huntsville with those big clouds still brewing.
As I rolled into Huntsville, I remembered our pie-run a few months ago. I passed that place, and the prison then saw a sign for Sam Houston's gravesite. Well, I just had to swing by there, while still looking over my shoulder at the impending black high topped clouds. As I found the gravesite, the rain started. And kept going.
So much that I decided to snap the picture, then make tracks for the first overhang/awning I could find which just happened to be in front of the Walker County courthouse. Yep, another county courthouse picture to be marked off the list.
I threw on the rain gear (jacket and pants), hopped back on the pig and kept motoring out of Huntsville on Hwy 30 headed towards Bryan/College Station again. I didn't make is but 10 miles and the rain stopped and the sunshine was out. I cleared Aggieland for the second time today, and thought about the Chicken Fried Bacon place!. Hmmmm...... Snook is on the way just down Hwy 60 a bit, so why not? Just before Snook however, those clouds were standing in the way.
On goes the rain gear for the second time. I really hate getting in and out of it, but I'd rather be dry and hot, than wet and hot/cold. I pulled into Snook and fueled up the pig, then meandered over to Sodolaks Steak House. I was the only vehicle in the lot, so I thought they might have been closed on Monday's. Nope. I'm in luck. I ditched the rain gear again and ordered a batch of chicken fried bacon which comes with a side of cream gravy. I figured why not? I had the huge burger for lunch, and when I get home, that's what Zocor is for. lol......
The gal brought out my tea and before she turned away, I was ready for a refill. A few minutes later, out comes six slices of batter dipped heaven. If you haven't ever had it, you really must give it a try. Now I can say I've had Chicken Fried chicken, steak, pork ribs, ribeye steak and bacon.
With my belly full for the second time today, I pointed the pig towards the barn for the last hundred miles or so to the casa. I took a few back roads to find myself back on Hwy 21 at Deanville, just south of Caldwell. By now, the sun was going down and the temperatures were quite cool just behind the rain that had recently fallen. This made for an overload of the senses with all the temperature inversions, sights of differing light patterns, and smells associated with rainfall and fresh cut hay. It was really a good part of the ride. Here's a shot taken about dusk on Hwy 21 at the Hwy 290 overpass.
The trip into Bastrop was quick from there, only about 12 miles or so where I grabbed a quick splash of fuel and the final push back to Austin. I arrived about as close to 12 hours after I departed this morning as you could get and the odometer showed 536 miles.
Not a bad day for a burger, bacon and pictures all with a 50% chance of rain.
I woke up sort of late for what I had intended, checked the weather radar and forecast for Lufkin and surrounding areas. Only a 50% chance of rain today, so that means there's a 50% chance it won't rain, right? I geared up and headed out Hwy 71 East past the Austin airport and all the new Hwy 130 mess with muggy temperatures, overcast skies and a LOT of traffic.
Once I cleared the construction, the traffic thinned out some and it was a bit easier to have some fun. I've always been a task-oriented person, but over the past year or so, I've learned to have some 'fun' along the way. I was hoping I could keep the task-gremlins at bay and have some fun on this trip.
First order of business was to remember where the F4 Phantom was in Bastrop. I turned off Hwy 71 and picked up Hwy 21. Well, it wasn't too hard to find since it was right on the highway. I also think my mandarin pig had a hand in finding it too since the F4 is proof positive a brick (or pig) can fly given enough velocity and lift. The F4 was an amazing aircraft during it's lifetime and it's neat to see some of them still around albeit on blocks.
After I left Bastrop and the F4, the fog started rolling in. This wasn't normal fog, but it had that little bit of mist in it too that was just enough to have droplets form on the windshield, roll up and over then pop you in the helmet. Argh..... And then I had to contend with the rollover accident on Hwy 21 too. Kind of makes you think about what the 'other' people are doing and how it might affect your day.
Cruising up Hwy 21, I've always wanted to stop and grab a picture of this city limits sign. I thought "who in the heck would name a town "Zulch", and is there a South Zulch?
This part of the country is also known for it's cattle and grazing operations. Here's just one of a zillion cows there.
I pushed on through Aggieland then up to Madisonville, and then Austonio still on Hwy 21. After about the 9th Historical marker in Austonio, I finally stopped and read a few. Seems like that was a real hot-bed area for a lot of the initial Tejas settlers including Sam Houston, Davey Crockett etc. Along this section of the trip, I stopped at the Madison county courthouse and took a picture as well as the Houston county courthouse for yet another project. (see, the gremlins have been held at bay...)
I remembered Rev. Jim saying something about Hwy 7 and then 130. My rusty, er....trusty GPS and map showed me there was a Hwy 7 that wandered East off of Hwy 21, and low and behold, there was in fact a FM or RR 130 that took me to Lufkin. As I approached Lufkin, the clouds and fog and given way to huge white fluffy clouds (actually, high top cumulonimbus thunderstorm clouds) I made it to Lufkin and remembered some directions I had read earlier this morning. After a few blocks, there was "Moms Diner", right across the street from the CVS as Rev. Jim said. I parked the bike and wandered on in.
Now Moms Diner isn't a fancy place at all. In fact, it was rather boring. BUT...... Every wall in the place had a flag on it, or a name or picture of a local serviceman or servicewoman. It was one VERY patriotic eating establishment. I ordered the cheeseburger and a tea and within a few minutes, it came out. Jeez, the thing was HUGE. We're talking hand pressed beef patties and loads of fixings to your specification. I chatted with the gal a bit and she couldn't recollect a "Rev. Jim from Austin", but said they got a lot of riders in there all the time.
After three buckets of tea and a full belly of one of the best burgers I've had, I was off to find my Angelina sign. I didn't see a county limit sign on the road I came in on, so I was out of luck there. I know there is one, as I've seen it in another riders picture. Not to be outdone, I found the Angelina College and the Angelina County Airport about six miles South of Lufkin on Hwy 59 and shot pictures of each. I'm opting to use the college picture since it looks better than the other.
Heading down Hwy 59, I couldn't resist a turn-around for this one. I'll just add it to my list of 'fun' places like Paris, London etc. This is where I peeled off Hwy 59 and took FM/RR 350.
As I continued FM/RR 30, I did notice the clouds starting to build about where I was headed. I figured sooner or later, I would have to cross paths with those big thunderheads and it was looking like sooner rather than later. This is about where I made my only mistake. I was using an OLD map, like 1986 and it showed a 'line', ie: road that would take me to Huntsville. Well, I made a 'side trip' instead but did find my way into Huntsville with those big clouds still brewing.
As I rolled into Huntsville, I remembered our pie-run a few months ago. I passed that place, and the prison then saw a sign for Sam Houston's gravesite. Well, I just had to swing by there, while still looking over my shoulder at the impending black high topped clouds. As I found the gravesite, the rain started. And kept going.
So much that I decided to snap the picture, then make tracks for the first overhang/awning I could find which just happened to be in front of the Walker County courthouse. Yep, another county courthouse picture to be marked off the list.
I threw on the rain gear (jacket and pants), hopped back on the pig and kept motoring out of Huntsville on Hwy 30 headed towards Bryan/College Station again. I didn't make is but 10 miles and the rain stopped and the sunshine was out. I cleared Aggieland for the second time today, and thought about the Chicken Fried Bacon place!. Hmmmm...... Snook is on the way just down Hwy 60 a bit, so why not? Just before Snook however, those clouds were standing in the way.
On goes the rain gear for the second time. I really hate getting in and out of it, but I'd rather be dry and hot, than wet and hot/cold. I pulled into Snook and fueled up the pig, then meandered over to Sodolaks Steak House. I was the only vehicle in the lot, so I thought they might have been closed on Monday's. Nope. I'm in luck. I ditched the rain gear again and ordered a batch of chicken fried bacon which comes with a side of cream gravy. I figured why not? I had the huge burger for lunch, and when I get home, that's what Zocor is for. lol......
The gal brought out my tea and before she turned away, I was ready for a refill. A few minutes later, out comes six slices of batter dipped heaven. If you haven't ever had it, you really must give it a try. Now I can say I've had Chicken Fried chicken, steak, pork ribs, ribeye steak and bacon.
With my belly full for the second time today, I pointed the pig towards the barn for the last hundred miles or so to the casa. I took a few back roads to find myself back on Hwy 21 at Deanville, just south of Caldwell. By now, the sun was going down and the temperatures were quite cool just behind the rain that had recently fallen. This made for an overload of the senses with all the temperature inversions, sights of differing light patterns, and smells associated with rainfall and fresh cut hay. It was really a good part of the ride. Here's a shot taken about dusk on Hwy 21 at the Hwy 290 overpass.
The trip into Bastrop was quick from there, only about 12 miles or so where I grabbed a quick splash of fuel and the final push back to Austin. I arrived about as close to 12 hours after I departed this morning as you could get and the odometer showed 536 miles.
Not a bad day for a burger, bacon and pictures all with a 50% chance of rain.
. Neal
